Chryanthemum plant named ‘Yobonnie’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yobonnie’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; dark red-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about September 14 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yobonnie’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yobonnie’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 2002, in Salinas, Calif. of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Hot Salsa, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,918, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yonatasha, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,907, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in January, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yobonnie have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yobonnie’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yobonnie’ as a new and distinct garden Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to         ligulate-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Dark red-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering about September 14^(th) in the         Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Hot Salsa, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter and more mounded         than plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Hot Salsa.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker         red in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Hot         Salsa.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Yonatasha, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as spherical in         shape as plants of the cultivar Yonatasha.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier then plants         of the cultivar Yonatasha when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yonatasha         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yonatasha         had light purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Foxy Yonatasha, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,351. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Foxy Yonatasha in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as spherical in         shape as plants of the cultivar Foxy Yonatasha.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of the cultivar Foxy Yonatasha.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker         red in color than and did not fade as quickly as ray florets of         plants of the cultivar Foxy Yontasha.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yobonnie’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yobonnie’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Fletcher, N.C. during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 29° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were grown in 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions and pinched about two weeks later. About two weeks after the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yobonnie. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Hot Salsa, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,918.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Yonatasha, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,907. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve             days at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum.             Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly             mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit,             about five to six lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary             laterals; dense and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 29 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 148A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             5.5 cm. Width: About 4.4 cm. Apex: Broadly acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes mostly parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A;             venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 147B; venation, 147B. Petiole: Length: About             1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 147A. Color,             lower surface: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne             on terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences faintly fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower about September 14^(th) in the Northern Hemisphere.             At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and             development can be induced under short day/long night             conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early             flowering habit; plants exposed to photoinductive short             day/long night conditions flower about 52 days later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an outdoor nursery.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 41 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 182B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate.             Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical             or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved,             then mostly flat with development. Length: About 1.8 cm.             Width: About 5 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous,             satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 42             arranged in about five whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Slightly darker than 46A. When opening, lower             surface: 182C to 182D. Fully opened, upper surface: 46A;             with development, color becomes closer to 185B to 185C.             Fully opened, lower surface: 182B; color becoming closer to             56A with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 66. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 1B.             Mid-section: Close to 145D. Base: Close to 157A. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 12C. Base:             Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 18             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 148A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 148B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Adroecium: Stamen number: About five             per floret. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color:             Close to 1A. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape:             Oblong. Anther color: Close to 4A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 2C. Style length:             About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yobonnie’ as illustrated and described. 